Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ukraine

A displaced Palestinian boy on his way to a community kitchen in Gaza to collect a cooked meal for his family. (June 2025). Photo: OCHA Olga Cherevko.

#Occupied Palestinian Territory

Deadly hostilities put aid seekers, displaced communities at risk

OCHA says that amid ongoing Israeli military operations, scores of people have reportedly been killed and injured, including while waiting for food. Over the weekend, there were numerous reports of attacks hitting homes, as well as schools hosting displaced people.

Given the heavy constraints on bringing in supplies and carrying out humanitarian operations across Gaza, people are going hungry. The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that one in five people faces catastrophic hunger, and more than 90,000 women and children urgently require treatment for malnutrition.

WFP notes that about 130,000 metric tons of food are positioned in the region and ready to serve people in Gaza if improved access is granted. The UN reiterates that Israel must facilitate the access and entry of essential supplies into Gaza, through the available crossing points and corridors, to address people’s desperate needs.

Meanwhile, the UN and its partners call on the Israeli authorities, with utmost urgency, to allow the entry of fuel into Gaza. This is critically needed for life-saving operations – including hospitals, water and sanitation equipment, telecommunications, moving cargo from crossings, and operating community kitchens. If the ban on fuel continues, more of these critical services will shut down soon and – in some areas – imminently. OCHA warns that the implications are life-threatening.

Yesterday, the Israeli military issued another displacement order in areas of Jabalya and Gaza city, instructing people to go to Al Mawasi. This follows another displacement order in central Gaza over the weekend. About 150,000 people were in the areas slated for displacement from yesterday’s order alone, including families staying in dozens of displacement sites.

People are being pushed into overcrowded areas where thousands of others are already staying. These spaces lack shelter, water and sewage systems, and medical facilities.

Beyond fuel, the entry into Gaza of critical shelter materials – tents, plastic sheeting, timber and other household items – has also been denied for 17 weeks.

OCHA notes that most of Gaza remains under displacement orders. Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure the protection of civilians wherever they are and wherever they go.

Meanwhile, OCHA reports that Israeli authorities continue to deny many humanitarian movements. Yesterday, they rejected five out of 15 attempts by the UN to coordinate such movements, including efforts to remove solid waste and debris and to recover broken trucks. Two other missions could not be accomplished, either because of impediments or because organizers had to cancel them. The remaining eight missions – which included the movement of staff and other missions – were facilitated and accomplished.

Partners working on education report that school-aged children continue to miss out on learning. The displacement order issued yesterday in Gaza and North Gaza governorates affected more than a dozen temporary learning spaces, which hosted some 5,000 students and 200 teachers. As most children in Gaza have no access to education, amid displacement orders and extensive damage to schools, the future of these children remains bleak.

Partners report a rising risk of gender-based violence across all governorates in the past two months – with women especially affected by incidents where they are denied services and resources, as they seek to provide for their families.

In April and May, some 45 partners were providing psychosocial support, safe shelter and dignity kits to women. However, other critical services, such as legal assistance, remain very limited or unavailable.

# Ukraine

Strikes cause civilian casualties, disrupt critical services

OCHA reports that weekend attacks struck multiple parts of Ukraine, including areas that have previously been less affected by the hostilities.

Between 26 and 30 June, more than 20 civilians were killed and nearly 150 injured, according to authorities, with several children among those injured.

The strikes also disrupted electricity and water supplies in the regions of Kherson and Lviv, compounding the hardship of residents. Urban centres – including the town of Samar in the Dnipro region, the town of Smila in the Cherkasy region, and the city of Odesa – came under attack, killing and injuring civilians and damaging infrastructure, such as apartment buildings, schools and a health facility.

Aid workers mobilized rapid responses in the Cherkasy and Odesa regions, providing first aid, hot meals, shelter materials and child support services to complement the work of first responders and local actors.*

In the Dnipro region, partners working in health scaled up their response following intensified attacks in June that killed and injured numerous civilians and damaged hospitals.

Rapid medical response teams and mental health professionals have been deployed to respond to the rising health needs among affected civilians and those fleeing front-line areas.

*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Ukraine with urgent support.